Wildlife & Wildlands Conservation PHD
Program Purpose
In addition to all of the goals of the BS and MS degree, the PhD program provides advanced and broadened knowledge and experience to provide leadership and major advancement of the profession. The program emphasizes this by mentoring mature students through the design, implementation, analysis, and reporting of research. It also develops teaching skills in these students by mentoring them in the development of teaching materials and teaching experiences in the classroom.
Curricular Structure
36 credit hours total beyond the MS degree, including 18 coursework hours plus 18 dissertation hours as approved by the graduate advisory committee.
Learning Outcomes
Literature Analysis and Synthesis in Plant or Wildlife Ecology
Synthesize literature and apply the scientific method to the design and writing of a research proposal.
Demonstrate proficiency and competency with regards to coursework taken towards PhD.
Communicate effectively both orally and in writing through presentation of the ecological and management context, research approach, and world of inference.
Evidence of Learning
Direct Measures
- A research proposal that is approved by the graduate advisory committee for submission to a funding agency.
- Teach a course (or part of a course) approved by the advisory committee and have it evaluated by students and the faculty mentor.
- Give oral and poster presentations at professional meetings.
- Approval of a dissertation by the graduate advisory committee that is ready for submission in peer-review journals.
The keys to the successful PhD program are the graduate student maturity and mentoring by the graduate advisor and graduate advisory committee. The PhD student bears more responsibility for independent thought and performance than does the MS student. A number of vehicles are in place to track graduate student progress and completion. These include a requirement for annual assessment of progress, a requirement for submission of an approved research prospectus and coursework list, and requirements for reports on research progress, as well as a final dissertation defense. We expect all PhD students to successfully complete the above 4 outcomes. Failure by any student to do so will require an assessment of the student performance relative to that of the graduate advisor and that of the advisory committee to guide professional or program modifications.
Indirect Measures
- Professional employment and advanced degree program placement.
- Exit interviews by graduate coordinator.
- Alumni surveys.
- Number of peer-reviewed publications from graduate students.